# Black Box...with a bit of a twist **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 9, 2026, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-box-with-a-bit-of-a-twist/1027527 "2026-02-09T22:14:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-box-with-a-bit-of-a-twist/1027527/1 "2026-02-09T22:14:20Z")
scenario: Everyone in the world over the age of 18 is given a black box with a small red button. If they press that button within 48 hours someone of their choosing will immediately drop dead. Now the twist. What do you think _your_ chances of surviving this experiment are? ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-box-with-a-bit-of-a-twist/1027527/2 "2026-02-09T22:23:34Z")
Somewhere close to 100%. Nobody hates me that much. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-box-with-a-bit-of-a-twist/1027527/3 "2026-02-09T22:37:01Z")
On an unrelated note, I should maybe make an apologetic call to an ex. Or two. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-box-with-a-bit-of-a-twist/1027527/4 "2026-02-09T22:39:26Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Now the twist. What do you think _your_ chances of surviving this experiment are? Back before 2015: maybe my odds of surviving were not close to “certain.” In 2026: I’d say that if the boxes are all delivered at the exact same time and no one knows that other people have one, the odds are excellent that I would survive. Because who is going to use that wish up on _me_?? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-box-with-a-bit-of-a-twist/1027527/5 "2026-02-09T22:42:54Z")
People will know either because they were with others when it happened or because they will blab. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-box-with-a-bit-of-a-twist/1027527/6 "2026-02-09T22:47:27Z")
Yes, in the scenario you propose, people would know. Or at least they would, what, read the instructions? and thus know what the button purports to do. Of course I was making the obvious point that after 2015 the world may well have a Most Hated Person (and it isn’t me!) But if everyone knows that there are 7 billion + of these boxes\*, they may not all use up their vote on the most-hated person, assuming that others will take care of him. \*a pure guess at the ‘over 18’ world population. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-box-with-a-bit-of-a-twist/1027527/7 "2026-02-09T22:49:25Z")
One ex who is much too kind-hearted to wish death on me (but if he wished it for anyone, it could well be me. I’m afraid I was a stinker.) Other than that, I can’t imagine that I made that much of an impression on anyone else. Oh wait, there’s my husband’s crazy alcoholic niece who thinks I’m keeping him from talking to her. And her crazy alcoholic mother/enabler. > [@Sherrerd](#): > > But if everyone knows that there are 7 billion + of these boxes\*, they may not all use up their vote on the most-hated person, assuming that others will take care of him. That would be an interesting topic: who would the world’s most-hated person choose to murder? Probably some poor target-of-the-moment who got under his skin 2 minutes before the box arrived. (Sorry, I hope this doesn’t lead to a hi-jack and turn into another you-know-who thread.) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-box-with-a-bit-of-a-twist/1027527/8 "2026-02-09T22:50:58Z")
Addendum. The box comes with a little light that stay on until the person you pick is killed by _your_ box. No wasted button pushing on those already dead. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-box-with-a-bit-of-a-twist/1027527/9 "2026-02-09T22:56:33Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > The box comes with a little light that stay on until the person you pick is killed by _your_ box. No wasted button pushing on those already dead. May we assume that these boxes are manufactured by _Lucifer LLC_?? Or possibly by Meta? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-box-with-a-bit-of-a-twist/1027527/10 "2026-02-09T22:57:16Z")
When did they become separate entities? ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-box-with-a-bit-of-a-twist/1027527/11 "2026-02-09T22:57:48Z")
Great twist. Does everyone get to use it only once? I’d probably survive. If it’s multiple uses, there are a couple of people who’d get to me eventually. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-box-with-a-bit-of-a-twist/1027527/12 "2026-02-09T22:58:14Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > (Sorry, I hope this doesn’t lead to a hi-jack and turn into another you-know-who thread.) Yes, my apologies for hinting broadly in that direction. But it would be interesting to know how often in human history there HAS been a ‘most hated’ person. Not too often, maybe, given that world domination hasn’t really been possible until the middle of the 20th century (or so). ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-box-with-a-bit-of-a-twist/1027527/13 "2026-02-09T23:00:39Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > When did they become separate entities? Heh. (I really struggled between Meta, Amazon . com Inc., and whatever Elon is calling his companies these days.) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-box-with-a-bit-of-a-twist/1027527/14 "2026-02-09T23:01:47Z")
One time only. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-box-with-a-bit-of-a-twist/1027527/15 "2026-02-09T23:03:58Z")
Not too difficult to predict. For practical purposes, these boxes already exist, and are commonly available to anyone in the US. If nobody’s gunned you down yet, they probably won’t box you, either. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-box-with-a-bit-of-a-twist/1027527/16 "2026-02-09T23:07:37Z")
That leads to interesting strategy. I wouldn’t choose a famous hated person because someone else would already get to them and it would be a waste. There’s that one woman who threatened to kill me because I was banging her girlfriend even though I didn’t know she was cheating. I have no beef with her even though she called me a “tiny dicked Jew” (as if). Maybe I take her out first for self preservation. ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2026, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-box-with-a-bit-of-a-twist/1027527/17 "2026-02-10T06:13:55Z")
I’d say my chances are excellent. No one alive hates me. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2026, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-box-with-a-bit-of-a-twist/1027527/18 "2026-02-10T06:47:18Z")
One time only, I’d expect a very high to 100% survival chance. Even among jilted ex-girlfriends, I can’t still be on the top of their list unless they’ve led an exceptionally charmed life. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2026, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-box-with-a-bit-of-a-twist/1027527/19 "2026-02-10T08:08:35Z")
I assume that I would, like the vast majority of people, be 100% safe. I think the more interesting question is how many people would be, as in _Pluribus_, instantly dead. And who would they be? Sure, the obvious candidates would be gone in a flash but I think many, many celebrities would be victim of the one person that really wants to drive home the point about how much they hate them. Many politicians, rich bastards, media darlings, sports stars, criminals and artists would be gone. I imagine the more people that know who you are, the greater the chance that one of them will choose you. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2026, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-box-with-a-bit-of-a-twist/1027527/20 "2026-02-10T09:48:23Z")
I teach middle school. And not a fun elective class. All joking aside, I’m just that important to have random enemies and I don’t think my own kids hate me that much. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-box-with-a-bit-of-a-twist/1027527.md?page=2)